Cyprus

Cyprus calls for EU rethink on Syria migration as refugee numbers rise

By Michele Kambas NICOSIA, Dec 14 (Reuters) - As record numbers of Syrian refugees reach the shores of Cyprus, the Nicosia government wants the European Union to consider declaring parts…

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EU must accept there won’t be a united Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot leader says

The EU is missing the point with cycles of diplomacy focused on a federal unification of Cyprus and has to accept a two-state solution on the divided island, Turkish Cypriot…

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Cyprus sees growth next year despite headwinds-minister

NICOSIA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Cyprus's economy is expected to expand by around 2.9% in 2024 from a forecast 2.4% this year, its finance minister said on Friday, despite facing…

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Cyprus outlines plans for seaborne aid to Gaza

A sea corridor from Cyprus to supply humanitarian aid to Gaza is creating some formidable logistical challenges and could require innovative fixes ranging from landing craft to a large floating…

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Cyprus braces for refugee influx from Mideast, boosts capacity

NICOSIA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Cyprus is expanding capacity to host refugees as it braces itself for a new influx of people fleeing deepening conflict in the Middle East, authorities…

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Cyprus busts refugee trafficking ring as more arrive from Mideast

NICOSIA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Police in Cyprus on Monday arrested ten individuals suspected of running a crime gang trafficking migrants, as the island saw a fresh spike in arrivals…

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Cyprus on heightened alert after small blast outside Israeli embassy

NICOSIA, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A small blast occurred overnight outside the Israeli embassy in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, police said. No damage or injuries were reported. Police said a…

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Israel-bound cruise ships divert to Cyprus, flights added

NICOSIA, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Cruise ships heading to Israel have been diverted to Cyprus, while additional flights were arranged on Monday to repatriate Israelis or assist people wanting to…

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Unusual incident in Cyprus concerning Russian journalist

NICOSIA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A Russian journalist detained in Cyprus for allegedly being a threat to national security has left the island, Cypriot media said on Saturday. The journalist's…

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Cyprus says Lebanon needs EU aid to deal with migration crisis

NICOSIA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - EU member Cyprus wants Brussels to offer financial and technical aid to Lebanon to help it cope with an influx of Syrian refugees and keep…

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Cyprus’s cabinet prepares surplus-yielding budget

NICOSIA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Cyprus's cabinet approved its 2024 draft budgetary plan on Wednesday which is expected to yield a surplus of 2.2% of national output, authorities said. Growth…

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Racism-fuelled violence spreads in Cyprus

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Police in Cyprus have made 20 arrests after a spate of racism-fuelled violence against migrants which erupted in the west of the island last week and spread…

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Cyprus declines Chevron’s gas field development proposal

(Reuters) - Cyprus rejected Chevron Corp's plan to develop the island nation's offshore Aphrodite natural gas field, Bloomberg News reported , citing Energy Minister Giorgos Papanastasiou. Papanastasiou told Bloomberg that…

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In race with time, Cyprus leaders appeal for help to find conflict victims

By Michele Kambas NICOSIA, (Reuters) - Rival leaders on war-split Cyprus appealed for witnesses to help trace hundreds of people missing in the violence that tore the island apart, saying…

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Cyprus excludes new asylum seekers from resettlement scheme

NICOSIA (Reuters) - New asylum seekers to Cyprus will be excluded from a re-settlement scheme to another EU member state to stop any abuse of the system, authorities said. Strategically…

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Feline coronavirus kills 300,000 cats in Cyprus

A feline coronavirus risks turning Cyprus into an “island of dead cats”, experts have warned after as many as 300,000 were killed in an outbreak. Both stray and domestic cats…

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Iranian attack against Israeli targets in Cyprus foiled

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the thwarting of what he said was an Iranian attack against Israeli targets in Cyprus. A statement from Netanyahu's office did…

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Cyprus unveils campaign to counter spike in asylum seekers

NICOSIA, (Reuters) - Cyprus is launching an information campaign to counter a spike in irregular migration, authorities said, saying they were struggling with the highest inflows in the European Union.…

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Cyprus wants shipping corridor to export natgas

NICOSIA, May 29 (Reuters) - Cyprus wants to establish itself as a gateway from east Mediterranean gas resources to Europe via a shipping corridor of LNG carriers, its president said…

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Cyprus wants more EU involvement in reunification efforts

ATHENS, (Reuters) - Cyprus wants more direct involvement of the European Union in attempts to end the decades-old division of the island, its President Nikos Christodoulides said this week. Cyprus…

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Cyprus to offer technical aid to Ukraine on mines clearance

NICOSIA, April 7 (Reuters) - Cyprus will offer Ukraine technical training on landmine clearing as part of its humanitarian assistance, its defence minister said on Friday. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii…

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Cablenet, part of the GO Group, confirmed as fastest growing telco provider in Cyprus

Cablenet, a company forming part of the GO Group, and the first foreign company successfully listed on the Malta Stock Exchange, has once again proven its resiliency and adaptability with…

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Cyprus problem’ top priority for island’s new president

Nikos Christodoulides was sworn in as Cyprus's president on Tuesday, promising to make finding a solution to the "Cyprus problem" his top priority after winning an election runoff on Feb. 12. Christodoulides,…

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Cyprus leaders meet as peace talks remain deadlocked

NICOSIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Leaders of Cyprus's estranged Greek and Turkish communities met on Thursday as a deadlock persisted in peace talks on the ethnically divided island. Thursday's meeting…

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Cyprus rallies EU partners to get shipping sector support

By Michele Kambas NICOSIA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Cyprus is speaking to other European Union member states to shore up support for the shipping industry hit by sanctions on Russia,…

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Former Cyprus foreign minister wins presidential election

Nikos Christodoulides won the Cyprus presidential election on Sunday after a second and final round of voting, promising a unity government tasked with breaking a deadlock in peace talks with estranged Turkish…

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Cypriot diplomats face off in cliffhanger presidential vote

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Cyprus went to the polls in a runoff presidential election on Sunday, pitting two career diplomats against each other in what could be a cliffhanger vote that has…

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Cyprus probes washed up dead whales, earthquake link possible

NICOSIA (Reuters) - A number of whales have washed up dead on the northern shores of Cyprus, authorities said, possibly affected by the massive earthquakes in neighbouring Turkey and Syria…

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Cyprus ruling party sits on fence in presidential runoff

NICOSIA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Cyprus's ruling right-wing party on Wednesday said its supporters should vote at will in a runoff presidential election on Feb. 12 between a former member…

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Cyprus presidential election goes to runoff

Cyprus votes in presidential elections Former foreign minister in lead, leftist candidate comes second Runoff to be held on Feb 12 NICOSIA (Reuters) - Former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides took…

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UPDATE – Cyprus presidential vote set for runoff, with Christodoulides in lead

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides edged into the lead inCyprus's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, but was unlikely to clinch an outright majority, leading to a…

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Cyprus poll draws record 14 candidates, unlikely to produce clear winner

Cyprus presidential vote likely to move to Feb 12 runoff Record number of candidates running Ex-member of present government ahead in polls By Michele Kambas NICOSIA, Feb 2 (Reuters) -…

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Cypriots to walk off job in rare strike over index-linked pay demands

Thousands of workers were expected to walk off the job in Cyprus on Thursday in a standoff with employers over their demand for inflation-linked salary increases. Twelve public and private…

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Fourteen candidates join race for Cyprus presidency in Feb. vote

NICOSIA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Fourteen candidates formally joined the race this week to become Cyprus's next president in an election next month dominated by the island's decades-old division, irregular…

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Maltese and Cypriot maritime registers see oil tankers leave as a result of sanctions on Russia

A large number of tankers which previously sailed under European Union flags, such as Cyprus’ and Malta’s, are leaving those registers as a result of the sanctions on Russian oil…

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Cyprus to revoke 10 more passports issued under discredited citizenship scheme

NICOSIA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Cyprus on Wednesday said it would strip citizenship from 10 individuals, among thousands who benefited from a cash-for-passports scheme which collapsed under accusations of corruption…

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Photo Story: Cyprus Informal Ministerial Meeting MED 5 in Paphos

(L-R) Malta’s Minister for Home Affairs, National Security and Law enforcement Byron Camilleri, Cyprus’ Interior Minister Nikos Nouris, Greece’ Minister of Migration and Asylum Notis Mitarachi, and Spain’s Interior Minister…

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Turkey to reinforce military presence in northern Cyprus -Erdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will rein force its military presence in northern Cyprus after the United States lifted defence trade restrictions on Cyprus, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said. Speaking in…

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Cyprus cancels meeting with Lavrov after EU says will step up sanctions

NICOSIA, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades cancelled a meeting scheduled with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York after EU foreign ministers agreed to prepare new…

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Cyprus ends mandatory mask wearing as COVID-19 measures eased

NICOSIA, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Cyprus on Wednesday said it would end all restrictions on gatherings and the mandatory use of face masks in most areas after cases of COVID-19…

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Cyprus cash-for-passports scheme rife with tax failings -audit

NICOSIA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - A cash-for-passports scheme discontinued by Cyprus in 2020 after a political furore cost the state hundreds of millions of euros in lost revenues from misdirected…

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Cyprus records its first monkeypox case, India first death

Cyprus has recorded its first case of monkeypox, the island's health ministry said. The infected man was 40 and had been travelling recently, the ministry said in a statement. The…

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UK’s Truss says Ukraine grain shipment “important first step”

Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the first grain shipment from the Ukrainian port of Odesa since Russia's invasion in February an "important first step," and called on Moscow not to "weaponise…

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Cyprus to absorb new energy bill hikes – finance minister

NICOSIA, July 28 (Reuters) - Cyprus said on Thursday the state would absorb a sizeable chunk of cost increases in energy to buffer anticipated rises of up to 25% in bills in…

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Shrugging off Russia maritime business loss, Cyprus targets Asia shipping

LONDON, (Reuters) - Cyprus has already overcome the loss of Russian maritime trade due to European sanctions and the Mediterranean shipping hub is chasing business expansion in Japan and elsewhere in Asia…

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Cyprus brings back face masks a month after scrapping them

NICOSIA, July 6 (Reuters) - Cyprus ordered the reintroduction of face masks to combat COVID-19 on Wednesday, just over a month after scrapping the requirement, as infections spiked again. The…

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Cyprus would like to function as regional firefighting response hub

Cyprus would like to function as a regional hub to coordinate responses of neighbouring countries to fires, President Nicos Anastasiades has said. In an interview with Politis following the devastating…

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Cyprus says tourism year ‘won’t be brilliant, but good’.

NICOSIA, June 15 (Reuters) - Cyprus's tourism sector is starting to recover its losses from the pandemic, with arrivals approaching 2019's record levels despite fewer visitors from Russia, Deputy Minister of Tourism…

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Europe’s south expects over 150,000 migrant arrivals this year – minister

Mediterranean countries on major migrant routes into Europe expect over 150,000 arrivals this year as food shortages caused by the Ukraine conflict threaten a new migration wave from Africa and…

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Cyprus caps VAT on electricity, increases pensions to cushion inflation blows

NICOSIA, May 27 (Reuters) - Cyprus said on Friday it would extend a lower value added tax (VAT) on electricity bills and a fuel price cap and also boost pensions to cushion…

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Cyprus to lift COVID-19 travel conditions from April 18

NICOSIA, April 7 (Reuters) - Cyprus will lift COVID-19 conditions for travel to the island from April 18, authorities said on Thursday, ending two years of rules imposed by the pandemic. The…

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Proposed EastMed gas pipeline is not viable – U.S. diplomat

NICOSIA, April 7, (Reuters) - Europe needs to swiftly find alternative sources of energy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but a proposed pipeline taking east Mediterranean gas to the continent via Israel,…

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Cyprus to revoke passports of four sanctioned Russians

NICOSIA, April 7 (Reuters) - Cyprus will revoke the passports of four sanctioned Russians who had received citizenship under an investment scheme discontinued in late 2020, government sources said on…

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Cyprus markets regulator is too slow to act, says EU watchdog

LONDON, March 10 (Reuters) - Cyprus' markets regulator was intervening too little or too late in tackling aggressive marketing behaviour by firms on its watch, the European Union's securities watchdog said on…

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Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Cyprus region

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck Cyprus region on Tuesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 2 km (1.24 miles), EMSC said.…

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Cyprus picks veteran as foreign minister after incumbent bows out

NICOSIA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Cyprus will appoint veteran politician Ioannis Kasoulides as its new foreign minister, replacing Nikos Christodoulides who has resigned his post, the president's office said on…

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New COVID-19 variant detected in Cyprus – Deltacron

A new COVID-19 variant which was dubbed Deltacron has been identified in Cyprus, but it is not presently a source of alarm, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas announced. The new variant…

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